


The Dressing Room

by Likemycoffee



Category: The Last Leg RPF
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Adam and Alex, slash fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 16:55:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12236934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Likemycoffee/pseuds/Likemycoffee
Summary: After the show, Jonnie goes to find Josh and they finally talk.





	The Dressing Room

'Hey.'

The voice is soft, whispered in the silence of the dressing room and Josh closes his eyes briefly and sighs.

'Hey.' He doesn't turn around. He hears the other man enter the room, feels him moving closer.

'You're taking your time,' Jonnie says. 'I thought maybe you'd gone already.'

 _I was hoping you wouldn't wait_. Josh doesn't articulate that thought. Instead he replies 'just finishing up.' He still doesn't look at Jonnie.

'Are you ok?'

There's genuine concern in the other man's voice and Josh swallows hard. He knows Jonnie has picked up on the atmosphere. Josh tried to hide it in front of the cameras but he'd caught the concerned looks that the sprinter had thrown in his direction during the show.

'I'm fine.'

'You don't seem fine.'

'And how do I seem?'

'I don't know,' Jonnie replies uncertainty. 'How come you didn't want to dance with me?'

Josh knows that Jonnie had been thrown by the change in plan. Instead of Oti choreographing a short routine for Jonnie and Josh to do like they had rehearsed, the panicked pleas from Josh just before they'd gone live had convinced Adam and Alex to switch things around and so it was Alex that Josh had held in his arms and Alex's eyes that he had gazed intensely into. The audience hadn't noticed that the whole section was being improvised but of course Jonnie and Oti knew, but they were both professionals and just went with it.

'I just - I thought it was a bit of a cliche, you know? The whole "Josh's man crush" joke's getting a bit tired now.' He knows it's a pathetic excuse even as it comes out of his mouth, not the least because the jokes about "Jalex" have been going on much longer and Jonnie knows it.

'Are you angry with me?'

Josh looks at Jonnie now and he feels his resolve crumbling. 'I'm not angry with you Jonnie.'

'Then what's wrong?' Jonnie moves closer, reaches a hand out to touch Josh's arm as if by instinct, Josh pulls back.

'I can't do this anymore.'

Jonnie looks like he's been stung. 'Do what?'

'This,' Josh sighs. 'All of this. The flirting; the joking around.'

'I thought we were friends.'

'We are,' Josh replies. 'But...'

'But what?'

Josh looks at Jonnie and he can see the other man's expression is closed off. Jonnie isn't giving anything away and Josh knows that the next words out of his mouth will change everything, will probably ruin almost five years of friendship, but he can't keep doing this to himself. He can't keep wanting something he can never have.

'I don't want it to be a joke,' he admits. Once the words are out, Josh wishes he could take it back. Jonnie looks stunned. He's just staring at Josh, saying nothing, and Josh has no idea what he's thinking.

'So that's why I can't keep doing this,' he continues because the silence is deafening and he just needs to fill the void with noise. 'It's too hard pretending. So that's why I couldn't dance with you on camera. I didn't want it to be a joke.'

'But...' Jonnie starts and he blinks, his forehead wrinkled into a frown. 'But you never said anything.'

'What was the point?' Josh says. 'I know it's all one sided. I tried to make myself stop feeling this but I can't.'

'It's not one sided.' The words are so quietly spoken that Josh thinks he must have imagined them.

'What?'

'It's not one sided,' Jonnie repeats.

'Of course it is.'

Jonnie gives an exasperated laugh. 'Seriously, Josh?'

'What are you saying?'

'I come on your show all the time. I ask to come on, I don't wait to be asked. In Rio, I was booked for one episode and I asked to come back on again and again, every night until I had to fly home. I let them dress me in a tutu. I didn't care because it was an excuse to see you.'

'I just thought you liked the show.'

'I do like the show,' Jonnie replies. 'And yeah... it's a laugh but I only do it so much because I like you; spending time with you.'

Josh can't believe what he's hearing but Jonnie looks so earnest, he feels a flicker of hope.

'So... you like me?'

'Yes Josh. I told you when we did the Crystal Maze, I feel the same.'

'I thought it was just a joke for the cameras,' Josh says but he can't stop the smile that appears on his face; doesn't want to.

Jonnie reaches out his left hand and takes Josh's right hand is his, linking their fingers together.

'I guess we should've talked sooner,' Jonnie says softly. 'Maybe if we had, Adam and Alex wouldn't have felt the need for the posters and the digs about flirting with people who aren't your partner.'

Josh flushes as he remembers the two posters of Jonnie's face both emblazoned with the word 'cock' that had fallen from the ceiling.

'Sorry,' he replies. 'They were just being protective. I may have spent a bit too much time crying on their shoulders - metaphorically of course.'

'Of course,' Jonnie smiles. 'So what now?'

'Well,' Josh begins. 'We could - go for dinner?'

'I like dinner,' Jonnie replies. 'When do you want to go?'

Josh considers for a moment, it's late, but they're in London and there are plenty of places still open. 'How about right now?' he asks.

'Yeah alright,' Jonnie smiles and then he leans in and presses a kiss to Josh's lips.

Josh brings his hand up to twist in Jonnie's hair. He's fantasised about doing this for so long but the real thing is better than any fantasy. Jonnie's lips are a little chapped and he draws Josh's bottom lip between his teeth, lightly biting. Josh lets out a soft groan of pleasure. It feels like an electric current is running through him. Jonnie's chest is firm against Josh's own. His aftershave, a deep apple fragrance with hints of cedar wood, Josh breathes him in. When they part a moment later, Jonnie looks flushed and Josh knows he probably looks exactly the same.

'I've been wanting to do that for ages,' Jonnie says softly.

'Me too,' Josh replies and then he takes Jonnie's hand and they make their way out of the studio and head in the direction of the taxi rank.

When they climb into the back seat of the taxi Josh's phone beeps with an incoming text message from Alex.

'You ok mate?' it reads.

Josh hastily types a reply, 'don't worry mate. I'm fine, never better. Call you tomorrow,' and sends it before turning his attention back to Jonnie Peacock. As if it could be anywhere else.


End file.
